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Sharon Osbourne, who sent a cryptic tweet July 24 hinting that she was leaving NBC's summer hit America's Got Talent, told the press -- including me -- a week later that NBC just hadn't asked her to do the show's next season in 2013. NBC officials insisted it was a misunderstanding based on something fellow AGT judge Howard Stern said on his satellite radio show.

On Monday, the New York Postdropped a story saying the real reason Osbourne is leaving the show is because she feels NBC punked her son Jack, dropping him from its reality show Stars Earn Stripes after executives learned he has multiple sclerosis.

NBC executives countered with a statement saying they "did not ask Jack to participate in the competition" and offered him other roles with the show, insisting they would never discriminate against someone because of a disability.

Sounds like NBC and Osbourne, who couldn't be bothered to speak honestly when speaking with TV critics in Los Angeles last week, kinda deserve each other. I'm expecting this mess will deliver lots of billable hours for high-priced attorneys for years to come.